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Injury Updates: Zegras, Lindgren, Trouba, Hoffman, Desharnais

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Ducks center Trevor Zegras is listed as a game-time decision for their game tomorrow against Tampa Bay, reports Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link).  The 23-year-old has missed more than two months with an ankle injury, his second extended absence after missing 20 games earlier in the year with a lower-body issue.  In between, Zegras has struggled offensively, notching just four goals and seven assists in the 20 games he has been able to suit up for which fueled trade speculation leading into the trade deadline.  With Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson locked in down the middle, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Anaheim deploy Zegras on the wing when he’s cleared to return.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren has begun skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, relays Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today (Twitter link). He has been out for a week but is still a few weeks away from returning.  Meanwhile, Mercogliano adds that blueliner Jacob Trouba (lower body) is likely closer to getting back into the lineup.  That said, head coach Peter Laviolette suggested that the captain is likely another week or more away from being able to suit up.  New York is in a tight battle with Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan but they’ll be waiting a little while longer to get one of their blueliners back.
  • Sharks winger Mike Hoffman is nearing a return from his upper-body injury but won’t play tonight against Chicago, head coach David Quinn told reporters including Max Miller of The Hockey News. The 34-year-old has missed the last two weeks with the injury which he revealed is a concussion.  It has been a tough year for Hoffman who has been limited to just 10 goals and 12 assists through 61 games so far, hardly the type of platform year he was hoping to have as he gets set to hit the open market in July.
  • Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais will return to the lineup tonight against Toronto, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). The 27-year-old suffered a hand injury last weekend against Colorado.  Desharnais is in his first season of full-time NHL duty and has nine points along with 96 blocks and 104 hits in 63 games so far this season.

Flames Notes: Offseason, Zary, Goaltending

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Flames GM Craig Conroy has been quite busy this year, moving away several notable veteran pending free agents to kick-start a rebuild or a retool of some sort.  However, they will have ample cap space to work with as a result of losing a lot of those players.  Speaking with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, Conroy indicated that he wouldn’t mind adding a veteran player or two but reiterated that the priority remains to have their younger players play.  He added that the ideal term of a contract for those veterans would be two or three years.  That will almost certainly have Calgary out of the mix for the top names on the open market but there should be plenty of players who could fit the bill for them in the early days of free agency in July.

More from Calgary:

  • Speaking of one of their younger players, winger Connor Zary has been activated off injured reserve, relays FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike (Twitter link). The 22-year-old started off the season with ten points in six games in the minors and has been up with Calgary since then.  Zary has done well in his first taste of NHL action, notching 12 goals and 17 helpers through 50 games so far while averaging 15:20 per game.  That playing time could go up down the stretch once the Flames – who are ten points out of the last Wild Card spot – are officially eliminated from postseason contention.
  • With Dustin Wolf now up for the rest of the season due to Dan Vladar’s season-ending hip surgery, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson suggests that the youngster should see some regular action down the stretch backing up Jacob Markstrom who was recently activated off IR. Wolf has put up a .897 SV% in ten games so far this season after another dominant showing in the minors where he sits fourth in the minors in save percentage at .923 in 35 appearances.  With plenty of speculation about Markstrom’s future, it stands to reason that Calgary would like to get Wolf some regular action over the final month to evaluate if he’s ready to take over as the starter or if they’d want to get a netminder back if they do move Markstrom in the offseason.

2024 College Free Agency Preview: Defensemen

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With the college regular seasons ending and the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there will be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks; we’ve already seen a handful of players sign.  At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

Here is an overview of some of the defensemen that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future.  Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.  Our look at the goaltenders can be found here.

Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State

The decision to return for his senior year was a good one for Anhorn as the 25-year-old had his best season offensively, notching 31 points in 35 games.  His overall upside isn’t perceived to be the highest but if a team is looking for a playable depth option that doesn’t need a lot of time in the minors to get ready, this could be it as his aggressive defensive game should work in the pros.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get his feet wet right away down the stretch.

Jacob Bengtsson, Boston College

After a good junior season at Lake Superior State, Bengtsson entered the transfer portal and transferred to Boston College where he’s on a much stronger team and still managed to play fairly big minutes.  He has been on the NHL radar for a couple of years now and this might be the right time for him to make the jump over playing the bonus year next season.  That said, his profile is more of a depth defender than one that projects to play in an NHL top six.

Zach Bookman, Merrimack

The 21-year-old might have the highest ceiling of any blueliner in this group.  Bookman averaged nearly a point per game this season for the Warriors and is only two years removed from averaging nearly two points per game in the AJHL.  However, he’s on the smaller side at 5’10 and, while improving, is still a bit raw in his own end.  There could be enough interest to warrant a contract now but if Bookman goes back for another season, he could be among the top free agents (at any position) in next year’s college free agent class.

Aiden Hansen-Bukata, RIT

After a couple of quiet seasons to start his college career, Hansen-Bukata broke out offensively last season with 32 points in 37 games.  This year, he didn’t beat those numbers but produced at a similar rate which should help generate some interest.  More of an offensive threat than a defensive one, the 24-year-old might have to settle for an AHL deal for his first professional contract.

Colton Huard, New Hampshire

A lot of blueliners on this list are of the smaller variety but Huard is one of the exceptions, standing 6’3.  While he doesn’t score much, he has an above-average shot from the back end which will be appealing to NHL teams.  His defensive game is still raw, however, so while he’ll be on the NHL radar again as he was a year ago, a return for his senior year is a realistic possibility.

Tim Lovell, Arizona State

His decision to transfer from Boston College following the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season to the Sun Devils was a wise one for the 22-year-old.  Since then, he has gone from a role player to one of the top scorers among all NCAA defensemen.  Another player who is more known for his offensive play than his defensive skill set, Lovell could benefit from the bonus year to continue to improve in his own end.  But there’s no denying that his offensive skills will be intriguing to teams now.

Others To Watch For

Boston Buckberger, Denver
Gianfranco Cassaro, RIT
Brandon Chabrier, Maine
Evan Murr, Minnesota State
John Prokop, Union

These players have all shown offensive upside but in most cases, they’re likely to return for another college season.  Cassaro as a five-year player is the exception but despite leading all NCAA defenders in goals this season, he may be a stronger candidate for an AHL deal than an NHL one.

Blue Jackets Assign David Jiricek To AHL, Recall James Malatesta

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David Jiricek’s stint with the Blue Jackets was short-lived.  Two days after being recalled under emergency conditions, the team announced that they assigned the blueliner back to AHL Cleveland while bringing up forward James Malatesta.  Malatesta’s recall is on an emergency basis and thus won’t count against their post-deadline recall limit.

Jiricek has split this season between Columbus and Cleveland with a small majority of his games coming at the NHL level.  He has played in 36 games with the Blue Jackets so far, collecting nine points and 39 blocked shots while logging a little under 15 minutes a night.  In the minors, meanwhile, the 20-year-old has been much more productive, collecting seven goals and ten assists in 24 games.

Jiricek has now officially burned the first year of his entry-level contract but there is still a milestone to watch for.  If he’s on the active roster for 40 games, he would accrue a season of service time toward UFA eligibility.  Accordingly, the Blue Jackets haven’t brought him up much lately; his two-day recall from earlier this week was his first in nearly two months.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see his NHL action be limited down the stretch for that reason.

As for Malatesta, he’s in his first full professional campaign after wrapping up his junior career on a high note, winning Memorial Cup MVP with QMJHL Quebec.  The 20-year-old leads the Monsters in penalty minutes with 79 through 53 games so far while chipping in with a dozen goals and nine helpers.  It’s unclear which forward’s availability is in question for their game tonight against Vegas which created the emergency conditions for Malatesta to be recalled.

East Notes: Bertuzzi, Marino, Biondi

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Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi is listed as a game-time decision for their game tonight against Edmonton due to illness, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link).  Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that Bertuzzi will ultimately decide at game time if he will be good enough to go.  Bertuzzi wasn’t able to secure a long-term deal last summer, ultimately settling for a one-year, $5.5MM agreement with the hopes of having a big year to improve his value.  However, the 29-year-old has had a quiet first season with Toronto, notching 15 goals and 19 assists in 67 games, his lowest point-per-game average since his rookie year back in 2017-18.

More from the East:

  • The Devils are expected to welcome defenseman John Marino back to the lineup tonight, relays team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury.  Marino has fared better in his second season with New Jersey, putting up 23 points in 65 games so far while logging over 21 minutes a night.  Based on the morning skate, they won’t waste any time putting him back into a key role as he’s projected to play on the top pairing versus Ottawa.
  • Canadiens prospect Blake Biondi has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, reports Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 (109th overall) and has spent the last four seasons at Minnesota-Duluth.  Biondi had 19 points in 34 games this season and could have become a free agent in mid-August if he hadn’t signed an entry-level deal with Montreal by then.  Instead, he’ll push that deadline back by a year and play his bonus season at a new school in the hopes of finishing up strong.

Central Notes: Hakanpaa, Bowness, Hodgson

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Originally, Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.  However, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters yesterday including Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News that the blueliner isn’t skating and won’t be available in the near future as he has been undergoing tests to determine his status.  It’s the second time that the 31-year-old has been injured this season as he had an upper-body issue last month.  Hakanpaa doesn’t put up many points as he has just 12 in 64 games but leads the team in hits (196) with nearly twice as many as Mason Marchment who sits second (100) while he’s second on the team in blocks with 123 behind only Esa Lindell (133).

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Jets head coach Rick Bowness will not return to the team this weekend as Postmedia’s Scott Billeck relays that Bowness remains in Winnipeg while recovering from a minor medical procedure. Scott Arniel will continue to serve as the interim bench boss for their games against the Islanders and Capitals.
  • Center Cody Hodgson has inked a second PTO deal with the Predators’ AHL affiliate, per the AHL’s transactions log. Hodgson was forced into early retirement following the 2015-16 season due to malignant hyperthermia but has recovered well enough to attempt a comeback which started in January.  So far, the 34-year-old has done quite well in limited action, notching six goals and two assists in 12 games.  This second PTO is a 25-game one which would easily take Hodgson through the rest of the season.

Golden Knights Have Discussed Extension With Jonathan Marchessault

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Back in August, Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault noted that there had yet to be any discussions about a possible contract extension.  However, his agent Pat Brisson told Mark Anderson of the Associated Press that there have been several discussions throughout the year.  However, a decision on re-signing or testing the open market is unlikely to come before the end of the season.

The 33-year-old is in the middle of one of his best seasons, setting a career high in goals with 38 along with 22 assists; his 60 points are the third most of his career.  This continues what has been a recent trend for Marchessault after putting up 66 and 57 points in his previous two campaigns, two of the highest point totals of his career.  At an age where a lot of players start to see their production slow down, his has gone up which bodes well for his next deal.

Brisson declined to get into specifics about what type of money or term he’d be seeking for Marchessault’s next deal while GM Kelly McCrimmon declined to comment.  That said, it stands to reason that the veteran will be seeking a fair-sized raise on his current $5MM AAV along with a multi-year agreement.

As things stand, Marchessault is tied for third in scoring among pending unrestricted free agents heading into Friday’s action.  He’s behind Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos while being tied with Carolina’s Jake Guentzel.  All in all, pretty good company to be in.

An original Golden Knight, Vegas would certainly love to keep Marchessault around.  However, that’s a task that will be easier said than done.  After adding Tomas Hertl at the trade deadline, they have nearly $78MM in commitments to 16 players for next season, per CapFriendly.  Even if we suppose that they can fully utilize Robin Lehner’s $5MM on LTIR which isn’t a given with the technicalities involved with LTIR, that only gives them around $14.7MM to work with in the summer and several players to sign to fill out their roster.

Marchessault isn’t their only pending UFA of note either.  Chandler Stephenson, one of the better bargains in recent seasons, is also on an expiring deal and is primed to potentially double (if not more than double) his current $2.75MM price tag.  They’ll likely want to take a run at extending Noah Hanifin as well which would be expensive with a price point likely to push past the $7MM mark on a long-term agreement.  Anthony Mantha, William Carrier, and Alec Martinez need to be re-signed or replaced as well.

It’s safe to say there isn’t enough money to go around to keep their current team intact; some veterans will be departing in July.  We’ll find out by then if Marchessault will be one of them.

Metropolitan Notes: Nedeljkovic, Blue Jackets, Devils

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Heading into the trade deadline, many expected that the Penguins would move pending UFA goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.  However, they instead moved third-stringer Magnus Hellberg.  Nedeljkovic told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that there weren’t any discussions about a contract extension before the deadline but that he’d be very happy to return for next season if Pittsburgh showed interest.  After spending a good chunk of last season in the minors, the 28-year-old inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Penguins last summer and has done relatively well, posting a 2.98 GAA and a .904 SV% in 24 appearances.  At a minimum, even if he doesn’t wind up staying with Pittsburgh, Nedeljkovic should be able to land a raise in the coming months.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Blue Jackets have made a very deep preliminary list of candidates for their vacant GM position. In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun indicated that the team has between 30 and 40 candidates on their initial list and more could be added depending on how things go early in the playoffs.  Columbus has been without a GM since Jarmo Kekalainen was fired five weeks ago with John Davidson serving in an interim capacity since then.
  • The frequent shuffling of Max Willman and Tyler Wotherspoon continues. A day after sending them back to AHL Utica, the Devils have recalled both players today, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Both recalls are once again on an emergency basis.  The reason for New Jersey sending them down between games could have to do with their waiver exemption; once they play in ten games or are on the NHL roster for 30 days, they’d have to clear to return to the Comets.  By papering them down here and there, they can delay getting to that point with both players.

Atlantic Notes: Senators Coaching Search, Murray, Maroon

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The search for Ottawa’s next coach is well underway with D.J. Smith being let go back in mid-December and Jacques Martin serving in the interim role until the end of the season.  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch suggests that long-time Senators center Chris Kelly is someone they may want to speak to.  Kelly, who spent parts of eight seasons in Ottawa and also served as a development coach with them, is currently an assistant in Boston.  Among the names speculated to also be under consideration are AHL Toronto’s Jon Gruden, recently-fired veteran bench bosses Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, and Craig Berube, along with Philadelphia associate coach Brad Shaw.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sens wait until deeper into the offseason to see who else might also become available so it may take a while yet for them to find their next head coach.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray faced shots briefly before practice today as he continues to work his way back from hip surgery, notes TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the entire season and when he had the procedure done in October, it came with a recovery timeline of six to eight months.  We’re five months into that timeline so Murray still has a long way to go before being cleared to play.  With Toronto’s cap situation, they wouldn’t be able to afford to activate him until the playoffs anyway.
  • Bruins winger Pat Maroon skated for the first time yesterday as he continues his rehab from back surgery, relays Steve Conroy of The Boston Globe. He underwent the procedure six weeks ago but is still a ways from returning; head coach Jim Montgomery termed Maroon as still being week-to-week.  Boston picked up the 35-year-old at the trade deadline from Minnesota after Maroon put up 16 points and 71 hits in 49 games before the surgery.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The trade deadline has come and gone with some surprising moves made as teams looked to load up for the stretch run.  That stretch run now features several teams trying to jockey for a Wild Card spot or try to position themselves better in their respective divisions.

With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again.  Our last mailbag was done in three segments.  The first focused solely on the Central Division and included discussions on who could afford Juuse Saros’ next contract and the asking price to get him plus thoughts on Winnipeg’s back end and if the time was right for Arizona to move Clayton Keller.  The second featured some thoughts on two proposed trade targets for New Jersey, the Rangers’ center situation, and plenty of trade deadline discussion.  Meanwhile, the third covered the idea of a coaching change in Washington, thoughts on a proposed rule change, and more trade deadline speculation.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below.  The mailbag will run on the weekend.

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